Mine-actuating system using one-shot mv timing circuit and timed mv feedback inhibitor

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a mine actuating system which becomes operable upon receiving electro-magnetic radiation pulses from a proximity detector. The device utilizes an electronic gating means coupled to an inhibiting means and a fire control means for providing an initiating voltage pulse to sequentially fire a plurality of electrically connected electro-explosive devices.

[451 Oct. 9, 1973 United States Patent [191 Kasinoff NXX I202 7 19 m .m m m mm ma m U" m n am mm m wv WMCZ 72 2 6677 9999 NN M 4 l 6 MINE-ACTUATING SYSTEM USING ONE-SHOT MV TIMING CIRCUIT AND TIMED MV FEEDBACK INHIBITOR [75] Inventor:

Harvey A. Kasinoff, Baltimore, Md.

[73] Assignee: The United States of America as Primary ExaminerBenjamin A. Borchelt represented by the Secretary of the Assistant Examiner-James M. Hanley Army, Washington, DC. Attorney-Harry M. Saragovitz et a].

221 Filed: Dec. 16, 1971 ABSTRACT Appl. No.: 210,261

This invention relates to a mine actuating system 102/ which becomes operable upon receiving electro- [58] i lozllo 18 19 2 magnetic radiation pulses from a proximity detector.

The device utilizes an electronic gating means coupled l02/70.2 R, 70.2 P, 70.2 G, 70.2 GA, 70.2 I;

to an inhibiting means and a fire control means for providing an initiating voltage pulse to sequentially fire a plurality of electrically connected electroexplosive devices.

18l/0.5 NC, 0.5 XC; 317/80 3,125,026 Johnson.......................... 102/702 P 3 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure MONO STA BLE MULTIVIBRATOR ELECTRO EXPLOSIVE DEVICE #2 I ELECTRO EXPLOSIVE DEVICE '1 SEQUENCER ELECTRO EXPLOSIVE -32 b mavicsw 50R T- SWITCH MONO -STABLE MULTIVIBRATOR MONO STABLE MULTIVIBRATOR MlNE-ACTUATING SYSTEM USING ONE-SHOT MV TIMING CIRCUIT AND TIMED MV FEEDBACK INHIBITOR The invention described herein may be manufactured, used and licensed by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various mechanical, electrical and chemical means have been used as a method for detonating land mines. Land mines having mechanical actuation generally require the application of pressure, pressure release, push or pull release. All of these later mentioned devices require that some physical contact be made between an intruder and the detonating device in order to actuate the device. Those prior art devices which can be electrically operated by a remote operator have not been satisfactory because of the necessity of keeping an operator on constant attendance in the general vicinity of the land mine. The requirement of continual observation of the prior art electrically operated land mines is particularly burdensome at night and during adverse weather conditions. The aforementioned prior art mechanical devices are inefficient in protecting a given area, for once having been fired or cleared, that area will become a safe zone to other subsequent intruders until such time as a new land mine is emplaced.

The present device provides a mine actuating system which is sensitive to the mere presence ofa moving object ofa given size and is insensitive to normal environmental disturbances such as those caused by wind, rain, falling leaves, sonic booms. The present device is not dependent upon actual contact with an intruder, nor upon remote actuation by an observer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a remote, automatic, mine actuating electronic system for protecting a given land area from intruders. The present device utilizes a radar signal to initiate a one-shot multi-vibrator timing cicuit in conjunction with a timed multi-vibrator feedback inhibitor circuit to actuate a land mine when an intruders presence is detected. The device requires three pulse signals, from a proximity detector, of a minimum amplitude and duration to occur within a fixed period of time for an activating output to occur. If less than three pulses of the specific amplitude and duration are received from the proximity detector-transmitter, located in the protected perimeter area, the device will not deliver an output to the electrically coupled electro-explosive device.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a land mine actuating device which does not require physical contact between the intruders and the device.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a device to insure the protection of a land area free from intruders without the presence of an observer.

Another object of this invention is to use signals from a proximity detector to remotely operate a mine fuse.

Another object of this invention is to provide a land mine actuating system which is sensitive to the movement of people and vehicles, but insensitive to normal environmental disturbances such as rain, wind, heat, sonic booms, and aircraft.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mine actuating system which having once been actuated will be inhibited from firing a second mine connected to the system for a predetermined period of time, thereby preventing unwanted expenditure of more than one mine against a single target.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The drawing shows a block diagram of the mine actuating system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing input signal pulses 1 and/or 2 and/or 3 generated from a proximity detectortransmitter (not shown) responsive to movement of personnel, in the range of the detector, are fed to the input of the mine actuating system at common input junction 10 through electrical conductor 11. The mine actuating system includes a gating means located within the dash rectangular box 40 of the drawing, an inhibiting means in the dash lined area 50, and fire control means located within the dash line box 60. If pulse 1 is of sufficient amplitude and duration it will initiate the monostable multivibrator hereinafter abbreviated (MSM) 12 through the electrical conductor which is connected to the input terminal of the first MSM 12. The output pulse of MSM 12 is coupled to the input of a first And" gate 14 through the electrical conductor 15. The output of MSM 12 is also electrically coupled to the input ofa second And gate 16 through electrical conductor 17. Second And gate 16 will not pass the first pulse unless a second pulse via electrical conductor 18 is simultaneously present at the second input terminal of second And" gate 16. The output of the second And" gate 16 is connected to the input of a second MSM 19 through an electrical conductor 20. Both the first MSM 12 and the second MSM 19 each generate, upon receipt of proper input voltages, a pulse voltage having approximately 20 seconds duration. The output of MSM 19 is electrically coupled to the input of the first And" gate 14 by the electrical conductor 33. If the input received from the proximity detector contains a third voltage pulse thereby indicating movement of personnel or a vehicle, and this third pulse is existent while the aforementioned MSM 12 and 19 are operative, then the first And" gate 14 will pass a signal which will actuate a mine device. The third pulse voltage is transmitted to the input of the first And" gate 14 by the electrical conductor 21. The initiating output pulse voltage of the first And gate 14 is electrically coupled through electrical conductor 22 to the input of a third MSM 23 and to an amplifier 24 through conductor 25. The output of the third MSM 23, which has a pulse duration of 40 seconds, is fed back to the first And" gate 14 through conductor 26, shutting off first And gate 14, thereby inhibiting it from passing any additional pulses caused by the just detected target. The output of the amplifier 24 is electrically coupled through conductor 27 to the silicon controlled rectifier 28 whose output is coupled through a conductor 29 to the input of a sequencer 30, or stepping relay, causing the latter to step and pass current to an output terminal. The initiating currents for sequentially exploding a plurality of electro-explosive devices 32, 32a and 32b are carried from the sequencer output through conductors 31, 31a and 31b respectively.

In operation three pulses having a particular movement signature, generated by the proximity detector, are required to be applied to the input terminal at common junction for an out put to occur resulting in the initiating of the electro-explosive devices 32, 32a and 32b. The time interval between the input pulses and the necessity for a three pulse signal having a certain movement signal signature is determined by the electrical input and output characteristics of mono-stable multivibrators 12 and 19 and the And gates 14 and 16. The circuits are adjusted to operate on the negative going edge of the input pulses. After pulse No. l is applied to the circuit it will not pass through the And" gate 16 as it is the only pulse present, nor does it have any effect on the mono-stable multivibrator 19, however, it does actuate the non-stable multivibrator 12. The output of mono-stable multivibrator 12 is applied to the first and second And" gates 14 and 16 respectively. When input pulse 2 is applied to the circuit it has no effect on the mono-stable multivibrator 12 since it flipped and is in the nonoperative opposite state. Input pulse 2 in combination with output pulse 2' out of the mono-stable multivibrator 12 causes And gate 16 to pass pulse 2 plus 2' causing the mono-stable multivibrator 19 to flip on. The output of the mono-stable multivibrator 19, pulse 3, is applied to the And gate 14. When input pulse 3 is applied to the circuit during the time that the monostable multivibrators l2 and 19 are in the on state, pulse 3 in combination with pulses 2 and 3 produce an output from And gate 14. This output pulse 2, 3 and 3' is amplified by amplifier 24 and used to trigger the silicon rectifier 28, and is also used to turn on mono-stable multivibrator 23 which produces a complemental pulse 4, thus inhibiting And gate 14. The triggering of silicon control rectifier 28 permits current to flow thereby causing sequencer switch 30 to step, actuating an electrical squib or an electro-explosive device which will explode a mine (not shown). Since it is desirable to use only one land mine against one individual target a delay device such as mono-stable multivibrator 23 is used to feed back a voltage pulse to the And gate 14 thereby preventing multiple firing of additional land mines against the same target. Thus, when a fire or initiating pulse, 2, 3, 3' occurs at the output of the And gate 14 to turn "on the amplifier 24, this same pulse is also used to trigger the mono-stable multivibrator 23. When multivibrator 23 changes state, the output pulse 4 is used to clamp the And gate 14 in an off condition such that no additional outputs can pass through And gate 14 to trigger the sequencer switch 30, until such time as the first electro-explosive device has been operated. The inhibiting action of mono-stable multivibrator 23 thus prevents the firing of more than one land mine against the same target, even though that target has caused the proximity detector to generate more than one group of three input pulses having the necessary amplitude and duration during a given 40 second period.

From the above description it will be evident that the invention provides a means for effectively actuating a single land mine by a single target Without the necessity of the target physically coming into contact with the actuating apparatus of the land mine, nor for the need of an observer to actuate the land mine from a remote position.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact detail of construction shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to a per son skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A mine actuating system for detonating a plurality of mines upon receiving a plurality of electrical pulses from a proximity detector comprising:

an electronic gating means having an input terminal and an output terminal operatively responsive to said first three electrical pulses of said proximity detector, for providing an initiating voltage pulse, which includes;

a first mono-stable multivibrator having an input terminal and an output terminal, said input terminal electrically coupled to a common input junction;

a first And gate having three input terminals, an inhibit input terminal, and one output terminal, a first of said three input terminals electrically connected to said first mono-stable multivibrator output, a second of said three input terminals electrically connected to said common input junction;

a second And gate having a first input electrically coupled to said common input junction, a second input electrically coupled to said first mono-stable multivibrator output terminal, and an output terminal, said And gate provides an output when the second input voltage pulse is present, at said input terminals of the second And gate, at the same time that the first monostable multivibrator is operating;

a second mono-stable multivibrator having an input terminal electrically coupled to the output of said second And gate, an output terminal electrically connected to a third input terminal of said first And gate permitting said first And gate to provide an output at its output terminal, the coincidence of pulse voltage on said first, second and third input terminals of said first And" gate actuates said inhibiting means and said fire control means;

means for temporarily inhibiting said gating means electrically coupled to said gating means after said gating means is responsive to said first three pulses; and

fire control means, electrically coupled to said gating means output, for sequentially firing a plurality of electrically connected electro-explosive devices.

2. A mine actuating system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for temporarily inhibiting said gating means comprises:

a third mono-stable multivibrator having an input terminal connected to said first And" gate output terminal, an output terminal electrically coupled to said inhibit terminal of said first And gate, temporarily inhibiting said first And gate until such time as three new input pulses are received from said proximity detector.

3. A mine actuating system as recited in claim 2 wherein said fire control means comprises:

an amplifier having an input electrically coupled to the output of said first And gate, an output terminal electrically coupled to a silicon controlled connected a plurality of electroexplosive devices which are sequentially fired by said sequencer switch. 

1. A mine actuating system for detonating a plurality of mines upon receiving a plurality of electrical pulses from a proximity detector comprising: an eleCtronic gating means having an input terminal and an output terminal operatively responsive to said first three electrical pulses of said proximity detector, for providing an initiating voltage pulse, which includes; a first mono-stable multivibrator having an input terminal and an output terminal, said input terminal electrically coupled to a common input junction; a first ''''And '''' gate having three input terminals, an inhibit input terminal, and one output terminal, a first of said three input terminals electrically connected to said first monostable multivibrator output, a second of said three input terminals electrically connected to said common input junction; a second ''''And'''' gate having a first input electrically coupled to said common input junction, a second input electrically coupled to said first mono-stable multivibrator output terminal, and an output terminal, said ''''And'''' gate provides an output when the second input voltage pulse is present, at said input terminals of the second ''''And'''' gate, at the same time that the first mono-stable multivibrator is operating; a second mono-stable multivibrator having an input terminal electrically coupled to the output of said second ''''And'''' gate, an output terminal electrically connected to a third input terminal of said first ''''And'''' gate permitting said first ''''And'''' gate to provide an output at its output terminal, the coincidence of pulse voltage on said first, second and third input terminals of said first ''''And'''' gate actuates said inhibiting means and said fire control means; means for temporarily inhibiting said gating means electrically coupled to said gating means after said gating means is responsive to said first three pulses; and fire control means, electrically coupled to said gating means output, for sequentially firing a plurality of electrically connected electro-explosive devices.
 2. A mine actuating system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for temporarily inhibiting said gating means comprises: a third mono-stable multivibrator having an input terminal connected to said first ''''And'''' gate output terminal, an output terminal electrically coupled to said inhibit terminal of said first ''''And'''' gate, temporarily inhibiting said first ''''And'''' gate until such time as three new input pulses are received from said proximity detector.
 3. A mine actuating system as recited in claim 2 wherein said fire control means comprises: an amplifier having an input electrically coupled to the output of said first ''''And'''' gate, an output terminal electrically coupled to a silicon controlled rectifier to trigger the same, said silicon control rectifier having an output terminal with sufficient current carrying capability to operate a connected sequencer relay switch, said sequencer relay switch having a plurality of output terminals to which are connected a plurality of electroexplosive devices which are sequentially fired by said sequencer switch. 